Team Wiggins ‘surprised’ by Tour de Yorkshire omission

Team Wiggins say they are “surprised” and “disappointed” after being excluded from next month’s Tour de Yorkshire.

The team, founded by five-time Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins to develop young British talent, was omitted from the race which runs from 28-30 April.

“It’s very disappointing and it is very much a surprise,” said the team’s sports director Simon Cope.

Race organisers said the event was oversubscribed and “unfortunately someone had to miss out”.

A total of 49 teams applied for 36 slots – 18 in the men’s race and 18 in the women’s.

The decision on who was included was made between Welcome to Yorkshire and cycling event organisers ASO, who jointly run the event.

A Welcome to Yorkshire spokesman said that Team Wiggins were welcome to apply for any future editions of the race.

But Cope told Cycling Weekly that he believed the team, who are the only British third-tier UCI Continental outfit not included, could have made an impact in the race.

“Good or bad press at the moment, there’s a percentage of the UK population who will be going to the race who want to see (Team) Wiggins there,” he said.

“You would have thought that we would have got in, but the organisers have made their selection and that’s it, we can’t do anything about it. We will have to go and find another bike race to do.”

An investigation by UK Anti-Doping is currently ongoing into allegations of wrongdoing in cycling involving Wiggins – who retired in December – and Team Sky.

Cope, who used to work for Team Sky, was questioned by MPs earlier this month about the contents of a medical package he delivered to Wiggins when he was racing at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine in France.

Team Sky have admitted “mistakes were made” around how medical records relating to the package were kept but deny breaking anti-doping rules.